Loss of Mo Jo

[Bealman]

That's exactly the way I feel about my layout.

[Bob Tidbury]

Nev S
I think we all go through that phase where we think of ripping our layouts up ,But then stop and think ,How will I be able to save the track because my state pension wont stretch to buying a lot of new track ,so I end up thinking how lucky I was to be able to afford what Ive built when I was working .
Apart from that I now suffer from a really bad back and cant stand up long enough to be able to build  a new one .
So now I just keep adding new scenics as and when I can , my latest addition has been a patio area with a B B Q  and a sand pit and swinging seat with figures and flowers round the house that my daughter bought for my birthday a couple of years ago . 
Now its far too cold to go down the shed any way so now its CDs and D V D s to keep me happy untill the weather warms up again .
Bob Tidbury .

[Bealman]

Understand completely. 

[dannyboy]

I sometimes regret dismantling Averingcliffe and starting the new layout, there was always some little thing that I could do with Averingcliffe. I started the new layout and got a lot of track laid including a helix at both ends. However, my mojo has well and truly gone missing. I ended up with some other committments earlier in the year which took up some time, so I did not feel like doing anything railway related. I have over the last couple of months found other things, totally unrelated to model railways, that have kept me occupied. But the new layout is there, waiting for me, (and mojo), to get back to it..... eventually.

[zwilnik]

I know the feeling. I do get quite long periods of time when I either can't do anything on my layout due to other commitments or just can't think of anything to do (despite a stockpile of kits I appear to have built up over the years). Sometimes, just switching it on and playing trains for a few minutes helps me notice stuff that would be fun to do.

[zwilnik]

I have the same feeling. Spent over 20 years building the layout and collecting locos and stock. When I was working I spent almost every spare minute in the man cave looking forward to all that forthcoming free time. Now I'm retired I find little enthusiasm to go and "play trains". Obviously the construction phase was my mojo. Current thinking is divided between do I rip it all up and start again and can I really bear to destroy 20 years work?

This is usually the point where I start a micro layout of some point. Usually because I want to try something that's not within the style or era of my main layout.

[Tank]

I hope you get your mojo back.  We all go through it.  My n gauge modelling pretty much stopped about 5 years ago, and you can probably see a huge decline in my posts!  The last two years I've not had much interest in it at all, due to so much going on at home.  I still buy the odd thing, as I hope that it will come back some day.  At the moment I just have a lovely collection....!   

[scottmitchell74]

My friend and fellow W. Cornwall dweller Port Perran, recently mentioned he had lost his Mo Jo.
This probably happens to a number of us periodically. Personally I go through spells of lost interest, and then come back fully charged with enthusiasm.

If I push myself when I am not really inspired and up to it, I invariably turn out a mediocre job. So, loss of Mo Jo for a while may be no bad thing.

Whew! This makes me feel better. I'm in a 4-5 year "mo jo" lull and partially it's because my track stopped "working" and I'm terrified to even try to figure it out.

But yes, I go through this. I'm glad to know I'm not alone. I feel guilty about it.


What I must avoid is the temptation to sell my stock right now especially since I can get a mint for it at current rates!!



Also! I've been debating a switch (or addition) to Z Scale. I could sell my excess British N gauge stock and easily fund a Z Scale empire, but I'm afraid to do that before getting the mo jo back. Maybe selling and buying would be the spark?

[Newportnobby]

As per usual with me, I got 'Kimbolted' to the stage where track was laid and by 'jury rigging' some wires I got trains to run. I was happy. I took short vids of my trains.
When I had a new roof on my mancave I had to dismantle everything to allow the workmen access. I swore I would rebuild with 'proper' electrics, isolating sections, polarity changing on points to avoid the poor contact syndrome etc..
I hate electrickery. I don't understand it. It bores the backside off me. It scares me. If there was one thing I could wave a magic wand at and have it done it would be the electrics as I enjoy everything else, even ballasting, which some hate.
Consequently very little has been done in 18 months. It's fair to say the loss of my moggie soul mate and the passing of my Mother has also had an effect but I will get back to it next Spring - honest!

[scottmitchell74]

As per usual with me, I got 'Kimbolted' to the stage where track was laid and by 'jury rigging' some wires I got trains to run. I was happy. I took short vids of my trains.
When I had a new roof on my mancave I had to dismantle everything to allow the workmen access. I swore I would rebuild with 'proper' electrics, isolating sections, polarity changing on points to avoid the poor contact syndrome etc..
I hate electrickery. I don't understand it. It bores the backside off me. It scares me. If there was one thing I could wave a magic wand at and have it done it would be the electrics as I enjoy everything else, even ballasting, which some hate.
Consequently very little has been done in 18 months. It's fair to say the loss of my moggie soul mate and the passing of my Mother has also had an effect but I will get back to it next Spring - honest!

Yes! Me too, exactly. I'll ballast happily and build trees from scratch happily but I hate the electrical side of this. It really stymies me greatly.

[Newportnobby]

Amen, Brother Scott

[crewearpley40]

I just cannot fathom, deal with or understand electrics. Prefer scenics, ballasting and making buildings.

[port perran]

I agree wholeheartedly.
I hate the electrical side of things. I have absolutely no interest in it hence my understanding is pretty much zero.
I did 10 O levels at school. We were allowed to drop one subject prior to starting O level subjects proper and Physics was the subject I dropped without a blink of an eyelid. Even at age 13/14 it made absolutely no sense to me.
Never trust what you can't see is my motto  .
But.....hats off to those who love it. I can sort of see the fascination but only just.

[zwilnik]

I did at one point consider going entirely Kato for my track when the electrics got too problematic. I was definitely getting jealous of Mum & her partner who have a fully Kato layout and only need to do a quick cleaning run around on it before playing with trains. Whereas I was having to trouble shoot all sorts of power issues just to get something to go round once.

[Newportnobby]

That's why I carried out a huge exercise with my stock and #4 points but the well known problem with them, along with lack of flexitrack and curved points meant I had to abandon Kato as I was not willing to compromise on my track plan.